Better Packaging and RCYCL are pioneering a new solution to waste, enabling eCommerce customers to reuse their POLLAST!C mailers to return unwearable garments for recycling, closing the loop on both clothing and packaging waste.

Under this innovative partnership, brands ordering customised POLLAST!C mailers can now add a RCYCL QR code and messaging to their mailers. This encourages the brand’s customers to cleanse their wardrobes responsibly: scan, fill with old clothes, and drop off at RCYCL's collection points nationally. Used POLLAST!C mailers are collected and recycled as part of the process also, addressing the lack of soft plastics recycling options, while keeping materials in circulation.

Each bag returned via the RCYCL system is weighed and sorted, before being passed on to verified recycling partners. This will give brands unique data on how much clothing they have helped divert from landfill, simply by integrating a QR code into the design of their mailers. Packaging, an expense that businesses are already accustomed to, now provides an opportunity for brands to encourage consumers to dispose of clothing responsibly.

The impact is twofold: unwearable textiles are diverted from landfill, and the POLLAST!C mailers themselves will be recycled. This initiative is more than just recycling; it is a strategic step towards a truly circular fashion future, aligning with major industry goals like those of Seamless Australia.

POLLAST!C mailers are made from 100% recycled Ocean Bound Plastic pollution collected from coastal communities throughout Southeast Asia with no formal waste management infrastructure. For Better Packaging, whose mission is to combat pollution, poverty, and climate change through packaging, this partnership is a natural evolution of their purpose-led innovation.

“By combining RCYCL’s expertise in textile collection, sorting and recycling with our packaging innovations, we are offering a simple, impactful solution for apparel brands and their customers,” explains Kate Bezar, Better Packaging’s co-founder. 

RCYCL, known for its mission to make textile recycling as intuitive as purchasing new clothing, provides a three-step process:

1. Buy, Sort & Fill: Customers scan the RCYCL QR code on the POLLAST!C mailer, purchase the RCYCL service, and fill the bag with worn-out or unwearable items.
2. Confirmation & Send: A confirmation code is provided to mark on the bag, which can then be returned via local drop-off points nationally.
3. Transform & Renew: At RCYCL’s facilities, clothing is sorted by fiber, and sent to vetted recycling partners to be converted into products such as carpet underlay or new yarn. Each POLLAST!C mailer will be collected and handed back for responsible recycling by Better Packaging Co.

Both Better Packaging Co. and RCYCL are supporters of Seamless (Australia’s clothing stewardship scheme) reflecting a shared commitment to creating circular solutions for the fashion and e-commerce industries. This initiative aligns perfectly with Seamless’s goal to dramatically reduce clothing waste, encouraging Australians to adopt positive practices around clothing acquisition, use, care, and disposal.

“With over 200,000 tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill each year, a shift needs to happen within the customer mindset,” says Belinda Paul, Founder of RCYCL. “As a business we are always looking for novel ways to tackle this problem, if we can make recycling our unwearable garments as intuitive as buying new clothes, we could all make an immediate difference to our landfill rates with one simple action.”

Better Packaging Co. and RCYCL are inviting forward-thinking brands to join this initiative and lead the charge towards a circular fashion economy. By opting into this program, businesses can offer customers a tangible way to recycle while reinforcing their own sustainability commitments. 

AFC MEMBER OFFER

As an exclusive benefit for AFC members, Better Packaging Co is offering 15% discount off all products. This is limited to one use per customer and applies to all products except ‘Low MOQ Custom POLLAST!C Mailers’.

To access your member offer, click the link here.